Fort Valley State University

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal Application, which is mailed to current year applicants by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) in December. Mail either of the completed applications in the envelope provided in the FAFSA application packet. For new applicants, it is important to include the School Code for FVSU which is 001566. This will allow the USDE to transmit your application data to the Financial Aid Office in a timely manner. You will need a copy of your and your parents’ (if married, your spouse’s) most recently completed federal income tax return to accurately complete the FAFSA application. Keep copies of information used to complete the FAFSA, and create a personal financial aid file for future use. Estimated information is subject to correction, which can lengthen the application process by four to six weeks. To prevent delays we strongly encourage using the web application at www.fafsa.ed.gov . You may easily access this website through the FVSU BANNER Web Services under General Financial Aid Information. The web application is easy, prompts you if there is incomplete information and processes faster. Users should apply for a personal identification number (PIN) at the FAFSA Website. This number is used as your electronic signature. Keep it in a safe place for future reference. You will need it to access information on the status of your application or to update information on the FAFSA application. Should you encounter problems with the FAFSA Website, assistance is available at 1.800.801.0576.

Approximately four weeks after mailing your FAFSA or Renewal Application, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Read all pages of the SAR for accuracy, especially the cover page. Information regarding your Pell Grant eligibility, your application status and the additional information required will be found there. If all information is correct, retain the SAR for future reference. You will need the information on the original SAR should you decide to transfer to a school that is not listed. If you determine there is information on your SAR that is incorrect, make corrections according to the instructions in Part 2 - Information Review Form or on the web.

If your application is selected for verification, you will be contacted by the Financial Aid Office. To receive any federal or state financial aid, verification must be completed. You may be asked to submit the following to the Financial Aid Office: a signed copy of your, your parents’, and if married, your spouse’s most recently completed federal income tax return; verification of other family members’ enrollment at other institutions; and a Verification Worksheet. Failure to provide the required documentation will delay processing as the verification process must be completed before any financial aid can be awarded.

In addition to completing the verification process in the Financial Aid Office, only students who have been fully admitted to FVSU can be awarded. An Award Notification Letter will be mailed after all eligibility requirements have been met. Please review all parts of this letter. If you are accepting, reducing or declining any part of the award, return the award letter to the Financial Aid Office.

If you or your parents accept an award that is part of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), you must complete a promissory note. Instructions for parents on determining eligibility for the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), is included with the Award Notification Letter. The loan promissory note will be mailed to you. It must be completed correctly and returned in the envelope provided. New borrowers must attend a loan counseling session. Federal regulations require a 30-day hold on the disbursement of loan proceeds for new borrowers. You will be allowed to complete enrollment and will not incur late fee payment charges.

Important

Students who meet the general eligibility requirements will have their awards determined when the Financial Aid Office has received results from the completed FAFSA, valid ISIR data and, if selected, all requested verification information.

You have completed the application process once you receive an Award Notification Letter from the Financial Aid Office and, if applicable, the FFELP Loan Promissory note has been correctly completed and received by the loan origination center.